Last Night
by SSailorSScoutSS
Summary: The decision has been made, you are a danger to humanity. We placed our trust and faith into you as a weapon for humanity to survive and defeat the titans but you have proved to be someone that we must always be on guard of, a menace to humanity itself. Oneshot - Complete. Inspired by the song "All I Ask"
The sound of the hammer dropping down on the table echoed throughout the walls of the courtroom, silencing the voices of those arguing. My head dropped down, hair covering my eyes as I awaited the answer from Commander-in-Chief, Darius Zackly. The feeling of deja vu passed over me as I remembered the last time I was here. Shackled in chains, being observed by those who thought I was a monster, and those who were my friends. I couldn't make eye contact with them this time though. I already knew what the judges remark would be, regardless of what anyone would say on my behalf.

"Silence!"

The sound of my heartbeat roared in my ears. I clenched my eyes shut, hoping this would be over and done with soon.

"Eren Yeager," Zackly spoke, commanding all eyes up to him. "You know of the crimes you have committed, do you not?"

The air around me was hot, pressure forcing itself down onto me causing me some trouble breathing. I swallowed trying to remove the lump in my throat but failed miserably. I bit down onto my bottom lip cringing with the words Zackly spoke. I couldn't deny what he was saying. The faith that humanity had in me was now gone.

"HE'S BITING HIS LIP, STOP HIM BEFORE HE TURNS INTO THAT MONSTER!"

I snapped my head up and turned towards the onlookers to where the voice came from. I recognized the face of the speaker. A young boy, no older than 10 from the Trost district. I remember him watching the Survey Corps coming back from their first mission outside the wall, failure obvious with the amount of losses and casualties. The boy looked on at us with awe, just like how I use to look at the Survey Corps. Now he stared back at me with anger and hatred evident in his eyes.

I quickly released my lip realizing I had just locked down my fait in stone with my action. "No! That's not what I was intending to d-" The two soldiers who stood at the ready beside me quickly sprung into action and tied a piece of cloth around my mouth, cutting off my way of communication from everyone.

"He's a monster!"

"Look at what he was planning to do!"

"He wants to take us out and get away himself!"

"Humanities strongest weapon? Pfft, who decided this? He is humanities worst enemy!"

I couldn't say anything to stop the accusations directed at me. I was so stupid! This is exactly why they don't trust me. I could never control my emotions and always acted on impulse not thinking of the consequences.

"That's not what he intended to do!"

 _Mikasa_

 _"_ Eren would never want to hurt anyone!"

 _Armin_

I turned to look towards my closest friends, my family. Mikes and Armin were shouting for me instead. I looked towards the other members of the Survey Corps attending, Connie, Sasha, Jean. They were all shouting but all the shouts were towards deaf ears. Nobody would listen to what they don't want to hear.

I felt a pair of eyes on me, turning I made contact with _him._ Captain Levi, narrow eyed and looking at me. I looked at him and shook my head slightly hoping he would get my message. _Please, stop them._ He closed his eyes for a brief moment taking a breath before opening them again. His eyes looked determined and reassuring back at me. He nodded slightly back at me acknowledging my silent request. He walked closer to Mikasa and the others and stepped in front of them, extending his arm out stoping the outbursts for a moment.

Mikasa paused mid sentence and turned towards me. I held her gaze for a moment longer that I should have. I could see the pain in her eyes. She knew that she was about to lose another member of her family once again. I could see the water forming in her eyes as she tried to fight off her emotions. They would get us nowhere now.

Silence fell onto the courtroom once again.

It felt like an eternity of silence before Zackly spoke again.

"I believe that we have all the information and proof needed to give our judgement. Eren Yeager, it is clear that from your previous actions on the latest mission to seal up Wall Maria, that you are a danger to humanity. Your powers cannot be controlled and it is a risk to the other soldiers and civilians if you stay around them. We placed our trust and faith into you as a weapon for humanity to survive and defeat the titans but you have proved to be someone that we must always be on guard of, a menace to humanity itself."

Small cheers could be heard through the onlookers who agreed.

"Eren Yeager," _This is it._ I closed my eyes ready for my judgement to be passed down to me. "You are to be sentenced to death for the greater good of humanity."

Screams of anger and joy could be heard throughout the courtroom. I hanged my head down in defeat, accepting the judgement passed onto me. The two guards moved to either side of me holding an arm each, lifting me to my feet and getting me ready to remove me from the courtroom.

"The date will be tomorrow at sundown, in the centre of Trost for all to see the end of humanities strongest weapon."

With the decision made, I was dragged out of the courtroom and back to the prison cell that would be my home for the short duration of my remaining life. The sun was shining down through the windows of the court halls. The pace taken to the cell was a slow one, almost as if taunting me saying these were the last glimpses of sunlight i would have before my execution. We made it to the steps leading down to the dungeon cell rooms. Taking one last deep breath, I felt all my emotions leave me, any thoughts of my family and friends would have to be left here. I couldn't afford to bring any memories down the stairs with me. I allowed the guards to lead me down.

The soldiers standing at the entrance of the cells gave a salute and opened the iron bars. I walked in myself and made my way over to my bed and stood to the side of it. I heard the iron bars screech to a close and the sound of the key locking and closing me in bounced off the walls.

I stood standing and stared at my bed, for how long, i couldn't say, until I heard the iron bars screech again from the sound of the locks and gate opening. Footsteps approached the area of the bed but I still didn't move, couldn't move.

"Eren"

 _Him._ He shouldn't be here. Why am i hearing his voice? I left everything behind before I came down the stairs.

"Eren, turn and look at me" I did what the voice commanded from me. He was standing in front of me. He wasn't supposed to be here but he was. _Levi._ He walked over to my bed and sat down on the edge, leaning slightly forward, arms leaning on his knees, head down and staring at the ground.

He stayed this way for a few moments before he shifted. He moved his hand and patted the spot beside him. Taking the hint, I sat down beside him. I don't know how long we sat there in silence, time had no meaning when I knew I had an end. Why bother counting down the hours when the end would happen all the same?

I clenched my hands into fists and gripped at my pants. I felt the weight of the bed shift slightly before feeling a light weight on my head. I looked up at the Captain. No, at Levi, but he was not making eye contact with me. He just looked forward at the cell walls in front of us.

 _I won't say a word._

Right, all the words have already been said. I felt something drip down my face, slowly at first but gradually becoming more and more consistent. My breathing changed a little as well. I tried to muffle the sounds coming out but nothing was working. Levi's weight on my head was too much. It was forcing all the emotion I thought I had thrown away before, back out of me. There was no more playing pretend. No more pretending that I wasn't scared of what was coming. But Levi still said nothing but continued to sit in silence being a comfort for me for my last night.

I heard the creaking of the keys once again. This time, I flinched at the sound. I think Levi noticed because he tensed up greatly beside me.

"Levi," one of the guards called out. "They are coming now. You need to leave."

The panic that was avoiding me all along appeared. My heart clenched in my chest. The weight on the bed was shifting for the final time. One last quick pat on my head was left before the weight completely disappeared from the bed. Levi was walking away from me for the last time.

My instinct kicked in as I reached out to his back, grasping his jacket. I heard the swords being drawn by the guards.

"Wait," Levi said to the guards. "One moment and I will be out. Put your weapons down." The swords were slowly put away but the guards showed no signs of leaving the cell without Levi.

"Captain Levi," my voice cracked after all the crying that had been done. "I know-" I swallowed hard "I know that I don't have a tomorrow anymore. This was my last night. I need you to promise me that you will take care of Mikasa and Armin once this is done." I clenched the material of his jacket tighter. "I know that I let you down but please, don't hold it against them. Don't let anything bad happen to them." My voice was breaking up and cracking. I cursed myself for looking so weak in front of _him._

"Eren," Levi's voice called out to me. He turned around to face me, forcing our contact apart. "It was I who let you down. Not you. I swear to you that I will protect them." I looked into Levi's and felt reassured by his words. I knew that he would honour them to his full extent.

Levi reached forward for my arm and gripped it firmly. He pulled forward slightly and pulled me into a firm embrace. "I swear it to you, Eren"

With that, he pulled away, eyes down towards the ground and walked out of the cell, turning and disappearing from the cells. I stood staring at the spot that he had just left, listening to the footsteps for as long as I could. Their was silence for a few moments before the sound of footsteps picked up again. It was time.

The guards entered my cell one final time, one on either side of me and escorted me out of the cells. I could see the last traces of daylight from the windows as we made our way through the hall and to the carriage that would take me to my final moments.

As we rode past the streets, I could hear a mixture of cheers and cries once again. The carriage stopped all too soon and the door was opened. I was greeted once again by my two guards.

"Monster!"

"Kill him! Kill him!"

"Humanities strongest!"

"Change the sentence!"

I allowed the guards to walk to me the centre courtyard. There waiting for me was Darius Zackly, Dot Pixis, commander of the Garrison Regiment, Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps, Nile Dok, leader of the Military Police as well as more guards surrounding the area to contain the crowds. I was escorted forward to the small wooden box lying on the ground and was instructed to kneel down before it.

I kneeled down and closed my eyes, breathing in slowly and out slowly. I could hear Mikasa and Armin calling out my names but i didn't dare to look. All my resolve would break at once if i saw them.

"Lean your chest down onto the box leaving your neck over the edge."

I opened my eyes and looked in front of me. Standing in the front of the crowd was someone who i was not expecting. _Him._ For once, I could see emotions clear on his face; anger, sadness, the look of defeat and failure clear on his face. I paused for a second maintaining eye contact with him. I couldn't have this. I couldn't leave with him looking like this.

 _I'm sorry_

I felt small pools of liquid forming at the corners of my eyes. I stayed there kneeling for another moment. I closed my eyes one more time before opening my eyes once again with the biggest grin and smile on my face. If this is my last moment in this world, then i don't want people to remember me being a scared person. I don't want the last images in my vision to be of my friends and family crying.

Silence erupted over the crowd, startled by my actions.

"Eren!"

I could hear my name being echoed throughout the crowd. I risked the glance to Mikasa who was smiling as big as she could with tears streaming down her face. Armin was the same, with a huge goofy grin on his. I turned back to glance at Levi who had his eyes closed. I slowly lowered myself down placing myself in the position i was instructed to be in.

I saw the executioner take his place beside me, sword out pointed towards the ground.

I still glanced in front of me at Levi. His eyes were still closed.

The sword began its accent. The blade passed in front of my eyes on it's way up, briefly causing me to lose vision of Levi. Once it passed, my eyes widened to the site in front of me.

Levi was smiling at me with one arm placed over his chest, the true salute.

I closed my eyes breathing in one last time before opening my eyes, smile as big as could be.

 _Thank you_


End file.
